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Surprised to find my wife in HSA

My wife signed up with a local (non-dive shop affiliated) trainer for PADI OW cert. She does not have full use of her left hand. While doing the buddy-breathing drill with me as her buddy the trainer managed to get in the way and essentially push me away from her causing me to lose the aux. mouthpiece. As an example of his training style he told her that she had just killed me. I didn't much care for that comment.

Anyway he said that he would do the buddy breathing with her. But he didn't he never went back to the drill tho we had 5 dives total. Anyway she took the final and passed and he said that he would send the documents in and she could get a temp cert card. We had no indication that he was going to do this via HSA and not PADI. And thus were quite surprised to find out otherwise. And not pleasantly surprised either since he had slapped her with a Class B limit.

Neither of us ever want to dive with that fellow again. So the question is how do we clear that Class B. I guess she is stuck with HSA unless we pay for her to take another OW class with someone else. We wouldn't have a problem with it except it's likely to cause problems with dive boats who have never heard of it. Just looking at the activity in this forum shows how well known it is.

We are going to Key Largo for 4 days of diving, can we get one of the PADI instructors down there to do a check dive with her where she can demonstrate buddy breathing? How would we get that to you?

Gah. What an unprofessional instructor. I cannot imagine a justification for not discussing this with you at the very least.

We liked Key Dives and I've heard good things about Rainbow Reef. If it's a hassle to complete with PADI why not choose an SSI shop to switch to? Did you mention your dissatisfaction to the shop owner?

Please, what a &*&%^!! for an instructor. We have a PADI instructor on our staff who holds a full cave cert and is an active cave diver.....he has a birth defect left hand that limits his use of that hand. I DM with his classes fairly often and he is a great instuctor. I would suggest you file a complait with PADI and go back to the shop where you paid for the cert insisting on completing the course and getting a standard OW card.

Gah. What an unprofessional instructor. I cannot imagine a justification for not discussing this with you at the very least.

We liked Key Dives and I've heard good things about Rainbow Reef. If it's a hassle to complete with PADI why not choose an SSI shop to switch to? Did you mention your dissatisfaction to the shop owner?

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I wish that I had, we have a great SSI shop here, that's where I got my cert.

My wife signed up with a local (non-dive shop affiliated) trainer for PADI OW cert. She does not have full use of her left hand. While doing the buddy-breathing drill with me as her buddy the trainer managed to get in the way and essentially push me away from her causing me to lose the aux. mouthpiece. As an example of his training style he told her that she had just killed me. I didn't much care for that comment.
Anyway he said that he would do buddy breathing with her. But he didn't he never went back to the drill tho we had 5 dives total. Anyway she took the final and passed and he said that he would send the documents in and she could get a temp cert card. We had no indication that he was going to do this via HSA and not PADI. And thus were quite surprised to find out otherwise. And not pleasantly surprised either since he had slapped her with a Class B limit.
Neither of us ever want to dive with that fellow again. So the question is how do we clear that Class B. I guess she is stuck with HSA unless we pay for her to take another OW class with someone else. We wouldn't have a problem with it except it's likely to cause problems with dive boats who have never heard of it. Just looking at the activity in this forum shows how well known it is.

We are going to Key Largo for 4 days of diving, can we get one of the PADI instructors down there to do a check dive with her where she can demonstrate buddy breathing? How would we get that to you?

Sorry to be so ill tempered about this.

BK

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you are not ill tempered at all..simply ask for a signed off copy of her PADI referral (on the back of her student folder) also in her PADI training log book, and a copy of her medical and a copy of medical release from her doctor if applicable, take it to any legit PADI instructor and you are good to go. Buddy breathing is NOT a requirement for PADI certification? Has not been for years now. Alternate air source is. A smart instructor will have her do a pool evaluation and then the 4 ow training dives.

My wife signed up with a local (non-dive shop affiliated) trainer for PADI OW cert. ************ Anyway she took the final and passed and he said that he would send the documents in and she could get a temp cert card. We had no indication that he was going to do this via HSA and not PADI.

BK

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I agree with the comments above about highlighting the poor standards and customer service, but actually wonder whether PADI will be prepared to get involved at all.

It is clear you BELIEVED you were doing a PADI course, but the instructor seems to have been of the opinion it was a HSA course? - (sorry I have never heard of them). I suspect PADI might say that there was a communication failure and that this was a HSA course and therefore nothing to do with them.

It might help if you have any paperwork saying you were signing up for a PADI course, or even if you have the course material and it was PADI's used. I would raise it with the instructor, see if he was prepared to offer some sort of a solution to get a PADI cert, and then cut my losses and go elsewhere.

P.

Phil -

Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end. Edward Whymper,